Prison Issues

Disability

The treatement of prisoners with disabilites within the correctional and justice system is a pressing issue. A large propotion of the prison population has a form of a disability - either physical, or intellectual. This proportion is greater than that of the general popultation. States and territories do not have an inititive to diagnose prisoners for mental illnesses and having diabled defendants being directed plead guilty by their lawyers is a common occurence due to the threat of indefinate detention - hence the high disabled population. Conditions for disabled inmates are also problematic as there is little to no outside support from outside organisations and communities.